The four drivers of Hendrick Motorsports have been stellar performers this season. William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Alex Bowman occupy the top three spots in the driver standings, with Chase Elliott sitting in sixth place. Despite this optimistic positioning after the first six races of the year, Jeff Gordon isn’t completely satisfied with what he is seeing.
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The team’s vice chairman spoke to the press in Homestead-Miami and explained why. While he is happy that they have gotten off to a good start, he can’t help but notice how they beat at tracks like the Phoenix Raceway and Las Vegas. The toppling moments have given him and his drivers, who strive for perfection, a ball to chase.
He said, “I think our guys really focused more on how do you bring the car with the most speed every single weekend. Then, when you get to Hendrick Motorsports on Monday, even if you brought four of the fastest cars to the racetrack, one of them says, ‘Mine wasn’t as fast as…’ It’s just constantly you’re just chasing it.”
The one good thing that he appreciates right now is that all they need to do is fine-tune things. They are already up top in points, so victories are the only box they need to tick.
Two rival drivers on the field have impressed Gordon completely. His words about them made it clear that they’re doing things that he wishes his drivers and teams did.
Gordon lauds the performances of Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell
The 2023 Cup Series champion, Ryan Blaney, has been one of the fastest drivers this year. He finished seventh in the Daytona 500 and fourth in Atlanta. But since then, he has had three DNFs in four races.
This stat doesn’t accurately portray the blistering pace with which he has been racing. Gordon, for one, was in love with it after the Miami race.
He said, “Just like the 12 car today. I mean, honestly, I think that was ‘the’ car. It was ridiculous how fast they were. I still think we’re chasing right now, whether it’s that 12 car or, at times, the 20 car.” The No. 20 car belongs to Christopher Bell, who has won three of the six races so far.
The ideals that Gordon sees in these drivers are the marks to hit for Byron, Larson, Bowman, and Elliott. Hopefully, they will satisfy his expectations in Martinsville this weekend.
